Multiway distributor-apparatus



April 24, 1962 J. VERHEYDEN MULTIWAY DISTRIBUTOR-APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1959 INVENTOR JEAN VERHEYDIELN BY W; W QMn Y ATTORNEYS April 1952 J. VERHEYDEN 3,031,110

'MULTIWAY DISTRIBUTOR-APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR J BAN VERHEYDE N ATTORNEYS April 24, 1962 J. VERHEYDEN MULTIWAY DISTRIBUTOR-APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 23, 1959 FIG. 4.

INVENTOR J BAN VERHEYDE N ATTORNEYS BY @annmn,

United States Patent 3,031,110 MULTIWAY DISTRIBUTOR-APPARATUS Jean Verheyden, Courbevoie, France, assignor to Commissariat a IEnergie Atomique, Paris, France Filed Apr. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 808,330 Claims priority, application France Apr. 26, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-330) stationary and the other movable inside of the stationary tub, the stationary tub being divided in a plurality of independent compartments each connected with one of the outflow lines. The mobile tub receives from the inflow line the fluid to be distributed and passes it through an outflow opening into one of the compartments of the stationary tub as determined by the position of the mobile tub.

This distributor apparatus does not have joints in contact with the fluid to be distributed, and consequently, cannot leak if overflow of the tubs is avoided.

Further, the distributor apparatus of the present invention requires no maintenance and is suitable for remote control which is necessary when the fluids are radioactive.

According to the present invention rotational movement can be imparted to the movable tub about a substantially vertical axis coinciding with the axis of the feed pipe. The mobile tub is contained in the stationary tub except for a tubular element in which the feed pipe is connected. One of the features of the present invention is the complete absence of joints in the path of the fluid to be distributed which is a great advantage when dangerous fluids, particularly radioactive fluids, are handled. 5

The fixed joints of the stationary tub and the feed pipe are associated with the tubular element providing impermeability of the apparatus to dangerous dusts, vapors or aerosols.

Rotation of the mobile tub is obtained by rotating the tubular element by any suitable apparatus such as a remote-control wheel, etc. The mobile tub is suspended and centered by suitable structure. The apparatus is prevented from coming under pressure in the event of clogging of an outflow line by an overflow collector which is in communication with each of the compartments of the stationary tub and with an open drain pipe.

An illustrative embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying schematic FIGS. 1 to 4 in which like reference characters indicate like parts. The structure to be described in connection with this embodiment is to be regarded as constituting a part of the invention, it being understood that equivalent structure may also be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational section of one embodiment of distributor apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan section along the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational section of the packing-joint structure of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

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FIG. 4 is an elevational section of the centering structure of the movable tub of the distributor apparatus of FIG. 1.

The distributor-apparatus of the present invention has preferably, but not necessarily, four outflow ways, it being understood that the number of outlet ways may be smaller or greater than tour so long as each of the compartments of the stationary tub has a capacity sufficient for transporting the fluid delivered by the mobile tub.

In the several FIGURES, a feed pipe 1 empties into movable tub 2 disposed inside stationary tube 3 which is in its turn connected with four outflow lines 4.

Movable tub 2 has a discharge outlet 5 and a tubular element 6. Tub 2 rests on pivot 7 having an intermediate bush 8. Rotation which the operator imparts to tub 2 is obtained by suitable means 9 shown in FIG. 1 as an operating wheel.

Stationary tub 3 in the illustrative embodiment is divided in its lower part into four compartments 10 by partitions 11, each of the compartments being connected with one of the outflow lines 4. Stationary tub 3 is surrounded by a overflow chamber 12 in communication with the several compartments 10 by openings 13. Chamber 12 is provided with an open drain pipe 14 (FIG. 2).

The fluid arriving through feed pipe 1 follows arrows F. A deflector cone 15 is placed on housing 16 of tub 2, housing 16 receiving pivot 7 and prevents the production-of eddies "harmful to flow of the fluid.

The apparatus is sealed hermetically, especially with respect to dangerous dusts, vapors and aerosols, by means of joints 17 and 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, tube 6, Welded at 19 to the upper wall 20 of chamberZ, is connected with brown 21 by means of key 22. The outer face of crown 21 contains groove 23 in which is mounted flexible steel cable 24. Flexible cable 24 provides another means for rotating tube 6 from a remote position to control the position of opening 5 of mobile tub 2.

The upper face 25 of chamber 3 has a reinforcing ring 25 welded thereto at 27 to which three pins 28 are Welded at 29 spaced apart by relatively to each other. A stationary ring 30 is mounted on pins 28 and on wall 25 and is secured by nuts 31.

A ring 32 is fastenedto ring 30 by bolts not shown in the FIGURES.

A collar 33 is welded at 34 to feed pipe 1 and is secured by bolts 35 to ring 32. Socket 36 centers feed pipe 1 by tightening the bolts 35. Channels 37 in collar 33 evacuate air from the apparatus during charging of mobile chamber 2. The air thus evacuated may be collected, filtered, and then released into the atmosphere.

Joint 18 having lips engaging movable tube 6 is connected with movable tub 2 and is maintained in place by clamping projection 38 between shoulder 39 of ring 32 and ring 48 by exerting pressure on collar 33 by means of bolts 35.

Joint 17, which also engages tube 6, is maintained in place by screw 41 and a ring 42 received in ring 43 welded at 44 to wall 25 of stationary tub 3. Joints 17 and 18 may be made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

The space between the joints 17 and 18 contains a ballbearing 45 supported on shoulders 46 formed in rotatable ring 21 and in stationary ring 30 and held in place by rings 47 threaded onto rings 21 and 30. A joint 48, also of polytetrafluoroethylene, engaging movable ring 21 is mounted in groove 4-9 formed in stationary ring 30.

Ballbearing 45 facilitates movement of movable tube 6 inside of fixed rings 30 and 32. Joint 48 prevents leakage of lubricant required for control cable 24 and ballbearing 45.

A ring 50, welded at 51 to the lower part of tube 6 centers movable tube 6 with respect to stationary tube 1. Centering of tube 6 with respect to tube 1 is performed before tightening nuts 31 and is obtained by means of three leveling screws 52 (FIG. 4), threaded into stationary ring 30 and supported on reinforcing ring 26 welded at 27 to wall 25 of tub 3. Screws 52 are spaced at 120 relatively to each and at 60 relative to pins 23 of stationary ring 30 on wall 25 of tub 3.

Joint 17 prevents leakage to the outside of gases or vapors coming from stationary tub 3. Joint 18 prevents leakage of gases or vapors coming from tub 2 toward ball'bearing 45, cable 24 and joint 48. When the tubs contain radioactive products, this construction prevents contamination of the elements 24, 45 and 48 so that they may be disassembled without special precautions.

The above described embodiment of the present invention is suitable for distributing radioactive fluids and may utilize a stationary tub with four compartments. The two tubs are made of rustless steel of 3 mm. thickness. The diameter of the movable tub is 280 mm. The diameter of the stationary tub is 300 mm. The heights of the tubs are, respectively, 150 and 320 mm.

It is now apparent that the several advantages referred to above are obtained by the present invention.

Changes in or modifications of the above described illustrative embodiment may now be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the present inventive concept. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In multiway distributor-apparatus, a stationary tub of substantially cylindrical form, a central pivot in said tub, means for dividing the lower part of said tub into a plurality of compartments, an outflow line for each of said compartments, said dividing means including fluidtight partitions disposed radially from said pivot, a movable tub of substantially cylindrical form inside of and surrounded by said stationary tub and rotatably mounted on said pivot, a fluid-evacuating opening in the lower part of said movable tub, a fluid feed pipe opening through said stationary tub into the upper part of said movable tub, means for rotating said movable tub about the axis defined by said pivot and said feed pipe, means for maintaining said feed pipe in the axis of the apparatus including a collar secured to said pipe, an assembly of two stationary rings mounted on said stationary tub and said collar being mounted on said ring assembly, an annular space of substantially cylindrical form provided between said pipe and said rings, a movable cylindrical tube mounted in said space, a centering ring on the base of said movable tube adapted to bear on the outer surface of said pipe, three spaced joints mounted on said stationary rings, the upper joint and the lower joint of said three joints isolating from the outer atmosphere the spaces bounded by said movable tub and said stationary tub, said middle joint being located between the middle part of said movable tube and said lower ring and isolating a space between said movable tube and said lower ring, a ballbearing mounted in said last named space facilitating rotation of said movable tube and an actuating cable mounted around said movable tube.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1, in which said joints are made of polytetrafluoroethylene, and said actuating cable is a flexible steel cable mounted in a groove in a cylindrical ring keyed to said mobile tube.

3. Multiway distributor-apparatus of the type in which a fluid supplied through a single conduit can be directed into a plurality of discharge conduits, which comprises in combination an external fixed receiving tub of substantially cylindrical form having in its lower part an axial pivot member and a plurality of walls extending radially from said pivot member to the tub wall to define in said lower part a plurality of fluid receiving compartments, said compartments each having a discharge opening, a mobile distributor tub of generally cylindrical form mounted on said pivot member for rotation within the upper part of said external fixed tub above said compartments, said movable tub having at its lower part an opening for discharging fluid toward said compartments, an upper axial fluid supply conduit extending through said external tub and into said internal tub, the latter having a cylindrical upper extension surrounding and rotatable relative to said supply conduit, fluid-tight joint means between said supply conduit and the upper part of said extension and between said external tub and the lower part of said extension, and means connected to said cylindrical extension for rotating it and said distributor tub around the axis of said pivot member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 756,327 Carkeek Apr. 5, 1904 1,243,631 Ropp Oct. 16, 1917 2,547,794 Stone Apr. 3, 1951 2,610,646 Michaelson et a1. Sept. 16, 1952 2,848,144 Haskell et 'al. Aug. 19, 1958 

